Xavier founded the X-Men and was the original headmaster of the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning

Powers: World's most powerful telepath, capable of astral projection, mind control, illusion casting, memory manipulation, psychic blasts, and sensing the presence of nearby mutants.

Xavier's first recruit and often the group's field leader. Former headmaster of the Xavier Institute, the former leader of the original X-Factor,[2] and the current leader of an offshoot X-Men team. He also formerly led the X-Men's X-Force squad.[3] He is the ex-husband of Madelyne Pryor, the widower of Jean Grey and ex-boyfriend of Emma Frost.[4]

Powers: Projects a beam of ruby-colored concussive force from his eyes, which act as interdimensional apertures between this universe and another.

The Hulk possesses the potential for limitless physical strength depending directly on his emotional state, particularly his anger. This has been reflected in the repeated comment, "The madder Hulk gets, the stronger Hulk gets." The cosmically-powerful entity known as the Beyonder once analyzed the Hulk's physiology, and claimed that the Hulk's potential strength had "no finite element inside."[66] Hulk's strength has been depicted as sometimes limited by Banner's subconscious influence; when Jean Grey psionically "shut Banner off", Hulk became strong enough to overpower and destroy the physical form of the villain Onslaught. Writer Greg Pak described the Worldbreaker Hulk shown during World War Hulk as having a level of physical power where "Hulk was stronger than any mortal—and most immortals—who ever walked the Earth." His strength allows him to leap into lower Earth orbit or across continents, and he has displayed superhuman speed.

His durability, regeneration, and endurance also increase in proportion to his temper.Hulk is resistant to injury or damage, though the degree to which varies between interpretations, but he has withstood the equivalent of solar temperatures, nuclear explosions, and planet-shattering impacts.] Despite his remarkable resiliency, continuous barrages of high-caliber gunfire can hinder his movement to some degree while he can be temporarily subdued with intense attacks with chemical weapons such as anesthetic gases, although any interruption of such dosages will allow him to quickly recover. He has been shown to have both regenerative and adaptive healing abilities, including growing tissues to allow him to breathe underwater,[83] surviving unprotected in space for extended periods,[84] and when injured, healing from most wounds within seconds, including, on one occasion, the complete destruction of most of his body mass.[85][86] As an effect, he has an extremely prolonged lifespan.

He also possesses less commonly described powers, including abilities allowing him to "home in" to his place of origin in New Mexico; resist psychic control,or unwilling transformation; grow stronger from radiation or dark magic; punch his way between separate temporal or spatial dimensions; and to see and interact with astral forms. Some of these abilities were in later years explained as being related; his ability to home in on the New Mexico bomb site was due to his latent ability to sense astral forms and ghosts, since the bomb site was also the place where the Maestro's skeleton was and Maestro's spirit was calling out to him in order to absorb his radiation.[86] The Hulk is also able to generate omnidirectional bursts of kinetic energy that completely destroy the planet he is standing on.

Has served as a field leader. Once had the powers and memories of Ms. Marvel. Forced to absorb Sunfire's abilities permanently in Rogue, vol. 3 #11 (2005). Lost those abilities when cleared of all added personalities in New X-Men, vol. 2 #46 (2008). Former member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. On-and-off girlfriend of Gambit. Currently a senior staff member at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.

Powers: Absorbs powers, memories, and personalities through skin-to-skin contact. Prolonged contact with others can cause her to permanently absorb their traits and potentially kill them.

Born on Yancy Street in New York City's Lower East Side, to a Jewish[8] family, Benjamin Jacob "Ben" Grimm had an early life of poverty and hardship, shaping him into a tough, streetwise scrapper. His older brother Daniel, whom Ben idolized, was killed in a street gang fight when Ben was eight years old. This portion of his own life is modeled on that of Jack Kirby, who grew up on tough Delancey Street, whose brother died when he was young, whose father was named Benjamin, and who was named Jacob at birth.[9] Following the death of his parents, Ben was raised by his Uncle Jake (who had married a much younger wife, Petunia, who would become a frequent reference used by the character until her death).[10] He comes to lead the Yancy Street gang at one point.[11]

Excelling in football as a high school student, Ben received a full scholarship to Empire State University, where he first met his eventual lifelong friend in a teenaged genius named Reed Richards, as well as future enemy Victor von Doom.[12] Despite their being from radically different backgrounds, science student Richards described to Grimm his dream of building a space rocket to explore the regions of space around Mars; Grimm jokingly agreed to fly that rocket when the day came.

After finishing college, having earned multiple advanced degrees in engineering,[13] Grimm joined the United States Marine Corps, where he was trained as a test pilot. (His exploits as a military aviator are chronicled to a limited extent in issue #7 of the Captain Savage and his Leatherneck Raiders comic, in a story entitled "Objective: Ben Grimm!") While in the Air Force, Nick Fury orders him to serve as a pilot during a top secret surveillance mission into Vladivostok in the Soviet Union, along with Logan (the future X-Man Wolverine) and Carol Danvers (the future Avenger Ms. Marvel).[14] Following this, he becomes an astronaut for NASA.[volume & issue needed]

The details of his life story have been modified over the years to keep the character current.[citation needed] In the earlier stories, up until the one published in the 1970s, Grimm had served in the air force during World War II and the space flight in which he was transformed into the Thing was an attempt to reach the Moon, occurring at a time before any manned space ship had escaped Earth's orbit.[15] The Captain Savage story mentioned above was set during the Second World War.

Former leader of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Foster mother of Rogue and mother of Nightcrawler. Voted a probationary member in X-Men, vol. 2 #174 (2005). Former member of Rogue's squad who defected to the Marauders whom she later betrayed as well.

Powers: Shapeshifting, with her natural form having blue skin and yellow eyes. Possesses minor healing and reactive abilities and a slowed aging process.

Third original team member and the only one to have acted as a costumed hero before joining the X-Men. Former member of the Champions, the Defenders, X-Factor, and X-Force. He was killed by Psylocke with a life seed in Uncanny X-Force, vol. 1 #18 (2011). His body was reanimated with a completely different identity. Currently a graduate student at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.

Powers: Makes use of the large, feathered wings on his back for natural flight. Also has eagle-like vision and blood with regenerative properties. Can formerly transform into a blue-skinned form with metallic, techno-organic wings, sharp metallic claws, and enhanced physical abilities. Currently can shoot light beams from his hands.

Twin sister of Captain Britain, a.k.a. Brian Braddock. Has served as a field leader. Killed by Vargas in X-Treme X-Men #2 (2001). Returned in Uncanny X-Men #455 (2005). Originally Caucasian, but the Hand switched her body with the Asian Revanche, which changed and expanded her powers. Exchanged powers with Jean Grey through unexplained means. Briefly abducted by Madelyne Pryor and brainwashed as a member of the Sisterhood of Mutants. Former member of the Exiles.

Powers: Telekinesis, telekinetic katana, telepathy, psychic knife, immunity to most physical or mental alteration.